Chapter 154: Play Time’s Over
His home felt foreign to him. Not residing here for too long made it strange and it made him wonder how Mira could do it all on her own.
Mira was asleep. Just like the first time they indulged in the physical activity that lead to bonding skin to skin, she gave up immediately after. Ming Tao tidied up. He brought her to his bed and that was where she now laid, sound asleep.
Since Mira did not take too long before succumbing into deep sleep, Ming Tao had to clean her while she was asleep. He used warm water and a folded clothing dampened with the warm water to bathe her and soothe her muscles. He made preparations himself to ensure his bed chambers was nicely taken cared of and safe for her to be in.
Mira was now going to be the mother of his child and he would not let her even be anywhere if he felt the grass was too long and unsafe for her. He would do anything to protect her from anyone, anything and himself.
Ming Tao got up from the bed, he walked outraged his door in careful steps till he reached the outside of his home.
Two Cheetah warriors were stationed outside his door.
"You must not deliver my message to anyone of our brothers. This remains between us." Ming Tao stated to one of the warriors. He had them stationed there, when he brought Mira home, he put things in place to ensure not even an insect would be able to cause her discomfort.
"I swear on my life, Mighty Cheetah." The warrior said then bowed down to show his respect.
Ming Tao gestured with two fingers, calling the other warrior. The warrior came to his side at once. He too bowed.
"I am at your service, Mighty Cheetah." The man said. This made Ming Tao sigh. He wanted to call them inside to have a conversation but he did not want to wake Mira up and he did not want to have this conversation out in the open when there could be numerous unwanted ears nearby.
Ming Tao remembered being hit and constrained. There was no way a wimp like Mu Yang could overpower him even while he was unconscious so there must be a spy amongst them. And as much as he did not want to suspect any of his people, he did not want to rule anyone out of his suspicion. Especially since he would be welcoming a child soon.
He wanted his clan safe for both his wife and the child she would conceive.
All of these thoughts made him decide that the front of his home was the best suitable place to discuss.
"I heard that the Lion King Jia Hao made a hasty exit from the cheetah clan shortly after his arrival. Are any one of you aware?" Ming Tao asked. Of course he knew Jia Hao left and why he left but he asked anyway.
Jia Hao would not be foolish enough to announce his departure or whereabouts to anyone that was not in his clan or within his rank or close proximity relationship wise. If these men knew anything further than Jia Hao leaving, then it would tell Ming Tao all he needed to know.
"Yes, Mighty Cheetah. But we all assumed that the Lion King would have informed you before departing. If we had known that you were unaware of it, we would have come to meet you ourselves and report it." One of the warriors said.
Ming Tao stayed quiet for a second. He certainly did not want to suspect his own people, that made him feel like a shitty ruler. "Did the Lion King at least mention anything about where he would be going?" Ming Tao asked.
The men stayed silent, like they were deep in thought and confusion. Confusion as to why their leader would ask them such a question knowing there was a limitation to the kind of information members in the clan were accessible to subject to their ranks within the clan, and thinking if there was anything of significance they noticed during Jia Hao’s visit.
"If he did, then I am not aware of it, Mighty Cheetah." The one who spoke before said.
The other man still stayed silent. "There was an incident I witnessed during his stay. Some beastmen clearly not within our region made a stop in our clan and headed straight to your home. This was when The Lion King first made his appearance with The Mighty Cheetah’s wife.
Another lion beast man was present and forgive me for eavesdropping on a conversation I should not have but I overheard that he was summoned by the Ruling Oracle." The other warrior finally said.
Ming Tao’s pupils dilated. His eyes widened for a second as he began to put the pieces together. Mira told him that Jia Hao had to be somewhere but she did not give him too much details about where Jia Hao needed to be.
It could either be because she was unaware of it or because she knew exactly where and decided it needed to be kept a secret.
If Jia Hao in fact was summoned by the Ruling Oracle, then they would not be in the cheetah clan right now and they would not need to ask for his return or his statement because they would already know what it would be.
Something was wrong. There was no way Jia Hao was on a journey to be with the Ruling Oracle if they were here. It was a trap. Ming Tao felt his fist clench. His jaw tightened as rage soon came to be.
Hye Yang. It had to be. She lured Jia Hao out of the cheetah clan the moment she knew he had spotted her so she could put her plan in action. With Jia Hao present, it would have ended before it even began.
But how that evil woman handled this was impressive, Ming Tao had to admit. She curated a perfect ally to make The Lion King himself believe it. If she was not a traitor, then her skills would have been greatly used in better sectors in the clans. She could have had her own ranking among the ones who pulled the strings. She could have had her own name outside her little fox habitat but her wisdom seemed to be way too narrowed to look at a bigger scene.
"I want to send you two on a very important mission and I need you to be discreet about it." Ming Tao stated. Even though he was under the influence of hypnosis, Ming Tao realised that he had made a big mistake by lying for Hye Yang to the Ruling Oracle. He could go to them and narrate his story, the truth, but his words with no evidence would look like an influenced version of the story.
He needed Jia Hao to validate his story, after all, he was the missing piece in all of this.
"We will carry out your order, Mighty cheetah. With honour." One of the men said in place for the two of them.
"I need you to go on a journey. Organise a small group of the beast people to prepare supplies to aid your journey. One that would last for up to seven days. You will go and hunt for the lion king." When the last bit of Ming Tao’s words left his mouth, the cheetahs went stiff.
First off, Jia Hao was the Lion King. A ruler in one of the clan regions. His strength was no myth and attacking him meant a death sentence. By law and by his hands but their ruler, The Mighty Cheetah Ming Tao had just given them an order and they could not go against it.
It seemed like there wa ls a beef going on between the two of them and the last thing these young warriors wanted was to be at the center of it. It meant their lives were at stake.
Ming Tao noticed the rigidity of their bodies and a half grin formed on his face. "Not in that way. I want you to look for him. Follow every possible trail. Use your hunting instincts. Go to places that you usually wouldn’t and ask around. I fear the Lion King has been summoned into a trap. I need you to find him and bring him home."
A sigh of relief left both males and their bodies eased on hearing this. Their leader was not sending them out to die and it called their nerves but what he said sounded serious.
"Do not trust any beast man. Our cousins and brothers. Anyone could be an accomplice to this treason. It is why I need you both to swear your secrecy." Ming Tao added.
"We will give our lives keeping the secret, Mighty Cheetah!" They both chorused in a low tone.
Ming Tao let out an exhale out of his mouth. He stretched both of his hands forward and placed them on the shoulders of each men. He did not want them to die. "Please, come back healthy and strong."
The men raised their heads to look up to face their ruler. They noticed the softness in his gaze as he said this and it touched their hearts, he cared for their safety.
"Yes, my great king."
"I will not let you down." They both said at the same time.
Ming Tao took his hands off them. He needed to add one more thing. "After seven days, if you still have not found the Lion King, return home." He said to them. He would be working to get rid of Hye Yang from his end but he needed them to find Jia Hao and if Jia Hao is not found. . . Then. . . As much as he did not want to imagine this. . . He would have to do something else.
Comments